Would you believe that the first surgical amputation we know of was 31,000 years ago? Researchers determined that the patient, a young boy from Borneo, had his lower left leg amputated for an unknown medical problem rather than an accident or an animal bite. The surgery seemed very clean, as it looked like the youth didn’t experience fatal blood loss or infection. They speculate that he lived six to nine years after the surgery before dying at around age 19 or 20. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
